Our Nani has passed away tonight.
She was the warmest most loving person the world has ever known. She never met a stranger and was always the first to give you the shirt off her back while singing you the song in her heart. She knew how to love, how to laugh, and how to live. She was larger than life... even in death, surrounded by her loved ones.
She has left this earth but has not left our hearts. She will live on in each of us.
Nani, we promise to make you proud. We promise to laugh when life gets too serious, to sing when we want to cry and to dance every time we hear a song from The Sound of Music.
There will never be another Nani Lou Ann. She was truly one of a kind.
I will miss her every day for the rest of my life.
~Gen
Monday, July 13, 2009
Our Nani
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Hippie Chic!
Not only is Auntie Erin brave and adventurous, she is also talented and creative. She came for their visit with toddler craft books in hand and all sorts of fun ideas up her sleeve. One of her projects for the kids was tie dye!
The kids LOVED every second of this messy and colorful craft. The hard part: waiting for them to be ready to wear. You know how much a toddler LOVES instant gratification! Surprisingly, they didn't seem to mind once we hit the bath tub and woke up the next day ready for the next step in the process. When those shirts finally came out of the dryer you would have thought they won the lottery.
-I can't decide who Ally looks more like, Erin or my sister Katie?
I think she's a mix!
By Tuesday afternoon their creations were clean, dry and ready to be worn! The timing was perfect as we got them dressed for a very special outing. Our great friend, Michelle, gave me the heads up on a fun event at our local Zoo. Tuesday nights they have a live band and yummy food for the whole family. As frequent Zoo visitors, I thought, dude.. that is right up our alley! With Conor working late, off we went, the kids..dressed to impress. They were SO proud of their shirts.. OMG it was cute!
When we got to the zoo we made the rounds and visited our favorite animals. Along the way Auntie Mel Mel and Auntie Katie arrived to join Erin, me, Joey and the goof balls in the fun. The kids were out numbered by adults.. it was AWESOME and actually very relaxing.
After taking our time with the animals, we found a great spot near the band to lay out our blanket and enjoy the moment. The kids were shy at first but eventually got up and danced for the crowd. It was so much fun!!! If you live in the Sacramento area you really should check it out. I think they only have two Tuesday's left this summer.
Have a fun weekend everyone - dance like no one is watching!
~Gen
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Dinner Dates
Conor and I have been SPOILED rotten lately with date nights! No joke, we went out while his parents were here last week. Then, on our actual anniversary, last Sunday, we got to go out again- thanks to his sister, Erin and her boyfriend, Joey!!
You guys are so sweet to kick us out of the house and we had such a great time! Don't worry, we aren't getting too used to all this romance! LOL;) Nah, it's been so good for us! THANK YOU!
Now, Erin and Joey aren't your average young couple. They are both incredibly BRAVE and adventurous. Case in point, while we were out to dinner, they packed the kids in the car and took them out as well! Conor and I were so impressed! Our kids LOVE to eat out but only do so on special occasions- like when family is in town. Not only did the 6 of them have a great time, but it was a HUGE success! Erin and Joey, you guys are awesome!
While I was getting ready for our big date, I was getting the kiddos "ready" as well! The girls love my bling and makeup. It's funny, if ever they are missing, I know just where to find them... in my makeup bag!! I've lost many a good mascara this way (ALLY!)! They are three of the girliest girls I have ever met! I LOVE IT!!!! Not to be left out, Russ got in on the action as well. However, he ONLY wanted to wear my "boy stuff." I didn't have the heart to tell him I didn't have any boy stuff, so we just pretended. He found some red shells, and was a happy camper.
-Molly, all dressed up with some place fun to go!
(L to R)
Molly, Russ, Ally and Libby
I hope you all had a great week! TGIF!
Belated.. 4th of July!
We've had a wonderful week! Conor's sister, Erin and her boyfriend, Joey came into town last Thursday and stayed until this morning! We had such a great time with them and I have SO much to blog about- MAN am I behind!!
The 4th of July is one of our favorite holidays. One filled with tradition and fun times for all. We can't wait to do it all over again next year. The kiddos proudly wore their red, white and blue! They LOVED spending the day with all of our aunts, uncles, cousins and friends!
They are growing up WAY to fast... WAY too fast!
-Gotta love our Russell, the kid lights up the room
(L to R)
We hope you all had a GREAT holiday weekend!
We miss you already Erin and Joey! Now, I'm off to work on my next post.. so much fun stuff to share!
Happy Thursday everyone!
Monday, July 06, 2009
'Daddy....Is That Your Weenie?'
As part of our weekend rituals, one on one time Saturday morning found Russ and I grabbing some "dude time" on a Starbucks run.
The little man is a walking sound bite, constantly narrating his take on life and asking questions about anything in site. Sometimes I forget that conversations from the house don't necessarily stay there. With all the potty training, and the always popular topic of "boys vs. girls," Russ is enthralled with his anatomy, and pretty much anything having to do with being a boy (because girls "don't have one.") Sometimes it just comes out of the blue, with no rhyme or reason.
Standing in line to order, the little man was happy commenting on the coffee packs, water bottles, and tumbler cups surrounding the counter. Starbucks isn't exactly a quiet place on a Saturday morning, but thankfully the momentary lapse in conversations and shouting of orders from the baristas provided a timely opportunity for everyone to hear the following:
(running over, pointing at my shorts, yelling with excitement)
"Daddy - Is That Your Weenie?"
After turning eight shades of red, and nodding thanks for the laughter and applause from the staff and patrons, I hurriedly whispered "yeah, buddy. let's use our inside voices..." and walked over to the counter to order. I'm sure every parent out there can relate to this scenario in some way, shape or form.
I love our kids, love being a dad, and most of all... love memories like these to look back on. I know my dad is cackling with delight reading this post after all the things we put him through!
Have a great week!
-Conor
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Happy Anniversary!
Conor and I have been married for 6 years TODAY!!
We met in college. I was the first person to welcome him to the University of San Francisco. I checked him into his dorm room. He was a transfer student from the University of Wisconsin. He left the Midwest to come play soccer in San Francisco and I'm so glad he did!! Two years after our first meeting, we started dating and the rest is history.
In the early days we were madly in love and full of dreams of what life would bring us. We never imagined the road to parenthood would be full of so many trials, tribulations and heart break. We NEVER imagined where that journey would take us. We stuck together through it all and became stronger than ever before. We became a team, a team that would become blessed with four amazing, unique and beautiful children.
Marriage isn't easy, but... it's worth it! Life is never what you expect it to be, we find new curve balls around every corner. Wouldn't it be boring otherwise!?!
We are two of the luckiest people in this world and we will NEVER take one single day, each other or our children for granted.
Happy Anniversary Babe! I love you with all of my heart and I am so proud of all we have overcome. We make a great team and I am so proud to be your wife!
I hope you all had a great 4th of July!
I'll post pictures from our day soon.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
The Hangover

Sunday, June 28, 2009
Outta Control Humongous QUADRUPLE Post!












